Karnataka forms SIT to probe alleged illegal drug repacking, relabelling racket

Bengaluru (PTI): The Karnataka government on Thursday constituted an SIT to probe an alleged unlicensed pharmaceutical repacking and relabelling operation involving drugs worth over Rs 4.91 crore, including allegedly spurious and expired medicines, officials said.

The six-member team will be headed by C Vamshikrishna, Joint Commissioner of Police, West, Bengaluru City, they said.

According to an order, the other members are Shiva Prakash Devaraju, Superintendent of Police; Lokesh B Jagalasur, Superintendent of Police (CID); Manjunath Reddy, Assistant Drugs Controller (Bengaluru); Namrata Hallur, Assistant Drugs Controller (Bengaluru South District); and Neha Murugi, Drugs Inspector (Bengaluru South District).

The SIT has been declared a police station under Section 2(1)(u) of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, for investigating cases within the territorial jurisdiction of Karnataka, the order said.

"The investigating officers of the said Special Investigation Team are authorised under Section 193 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita to submit police reports before the competent courts concerned," it said.

The Director General and Inspector General of Police shall transfer to the SIT the investigation of the case, as well as any other criminal cases registered at police stations across Karnataka in connection with the matter, and provide such additional officers and staff as may be required by the team, the order said.

The SIT will function under the supervision of the Additional Director General of Police, Law and Order, Police Headquarters, Bengaluru.

The team will submit periodic progress reports to the ADGP, Law and Order, who will forward them to the DG&IGP, the order said.

The SIT will conduct a comprehensive investigation into the case and any other cases that may be registered across the state in connection with the matter. It will submit its investigation report to the competent court and send a copy to the government through the DG&IGP, it added.

According to officials, the matter came to light after a team from the Karnataka Food Safety and Drug Administration department conducted an inspection following a tip-off on August 18 about a facility operating from a farmhouse in Kurubarakerana Halli, Bidadi, in Bengaluru South district.

Police have arrested a worker identified as Prabhudev Gowda, who was working at the farmhouse, in connection with the case.

The investigation found that the premises were allegedly being used to procure lower-cost medicines from other states, which were then repacked into new vials and relabelled to resemble products of expensive multinational pharmaceutical companies and imported brands, officials said.